


Rising Fascination

by tearyroseate



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Love, Canon Compliant, Chibi America (Hetalia), Child America, Childhood Memories, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Magic, Magic America, Magic Trio (Hetalia), Nationverse, Repressed Memories, im a sucker for England and America as brothers, not that much angst but a bit as a treat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24099001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearyroseate/pseuds/tearyroseate
Summary: Alfred always had magic inside him, it was apparent for a long time. He had a close connection with animals, he felt things differently than most.  He was different. But when when England began to leave more and more,  his magic faded away.That's what he thought at least, when strange memories from his childhood begin to resurface that aren't like he remembered and strange things keep happening to him, it causes him to believe otherwise. Hopefully it's nothing, but when do nations get it easy.Cross posted on wattpad
Relationships: America & Canada (Hetalia), America & England (Hetalia), No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	1. Fading

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! I've never done a chapter story before so I'm kinda excited for this!! This also doesn't have a beta and I tend to make mistakes when editing so I hope grammar and wording isn't too terrible.

He ran through the fields.

The golden grass sways gently in the breeze, a small hand extends to brush over the tops tickling his palm. 

The sun hitting against it matched his hair, he thought.

His hair was just as golden as the nature that surrounded him.

At least that's what his brother told him, he believed it.

Something about what was all around him at this exact moment set some kind of peace in him.

He felt calm.

Suddenly darkness clouded his vision and he wasn't standing in the gentle grass anymore.

His bare feet didn't feel the kind, soft earth beneath anymore. His skin was touching a wooden stool, wrapped around his neck was a rough material.

After a quick realization, it was rope. Wrapped around his tiny neck was a noose, his blue eyes scanned the scene frantically.

Taking in what was around him was overwhelming, the chanting from the crowd filled with anger and fear.

His eyes darted to look to the right to see a man, the stool he was standing on was suddenly kicked out from under him leaving nothing but air between his feet and the ground beneath him. Just before the rope tightened around his neck he-

Alfred sat up with a sharp gasp as the alarm on his phone began to blare. His hand runs over his forehead then through his hair.

Sweat ran down his back, his entire body felt like it was melting. As he steadied out his breathing, he grabbed his plain shirt and pulled at it several times to let cooler air pass over his skin.

The sensation was relieving, making him more in touch with reality and feeling more awake.

Once more aware of his surroundings he managed to reach over to his phone and turn off the alarm that was still going off.

Squinting as he looked at the time, it read 5:37 am.

He groaned, legs swinging over the side of the bed and setting his cell on the bedside table again.   
Dragging his feet against the wooden floorboards of his bedroom he made his way to his bathroom. Turning on the water, he began to undress himself, tossing the clothes into a hamper.

Typically he would reuse his pajama clothes, it made sense. They weren’t dirty and he only wore them to sleep, but lately his laundry had been more frequent.

A dry hand slipped into the stream of water to test the temperature, deeming it warm enough he stepped in letting the drops hit against his skin.

It was one of the more calming parts of his morning, being able to shower off the sweat from the night before and feel more at ease with himself. The nightmares he’d been having were getting more frequent, too much for his own liking. His dreams were not always bad, honestly more often than not they were good. Still, that doesn’t change that they always ended the same. Waking up drenched in sweat and feeling overwhelmingly terrified for his life. 

Alfred had no idea why, but for a month this is what his mornings had been like.

Needless to say he wasn’t a fan.

He squirted shampoo into the palm of his hand then massaging his scalp,his nails gently scratching the skin.

All he could do for the time being was pass it off as something to do with his economy or stubborn government, countries were affected like that. If something was amiss internally it usually resulted in side affects just as this. 

In all honesty though he’d never experienced something like this, but he was still technically young so who was he to say it wasn’t probable. 

After rinsing the suds, he shut off the water and stepped out onto the shower mat. He grabbed a towel hanging on a rack to rub it over his hair to dry it quickly, then run it over his skin till he thought he was dry enough to simply wrap it around his waist.

Leaving, he turned on the bathroom fan and closed the door behind him, once again walking into his bedroom.

Going through his closet he pulled out his usual meeting attire, a tan suit, button down, tie, what's normal. He drops his towel after putting on his briefs then the rest of his clothes, but opting to just carry the suit jacket for the time being. It was more comfortable that way.

After putting on his socks and shoes he quickly brushes his teeth, hangs his towel, and shuts the fan and lights off.

Grabbing his phone, glasses and file bag from his desk, he runs down the stairs into his kitchen. 

He looked at the clock hanging on the wall seeing that it was only 5:50, which meant he had plenty of time to enjoy his breakfast. Given it was relatively cool for a day in June, he wouldn’t mind being able to watch the sunrise as he ate.

With that, he started brewing coffee and began working on his meal.

By the time he made it to the building in Washington DC where the meeting was being held, he still had twenty minutes to spare.

That’s new, Alfred thought to himself as he grabbed his case shutting and locking his car door. 

Just before stepping into the building a voice cut through to him.

“Alfie! Here!”

The blonde quickly turned his head, looking all around to see who had called out, but no one seemed to have done so. 

Only a few of his own government officials and other personifications seemed to be in the parking lot, none of which had yelled out his nickname.

Sighing, he went inside trying to let it slide.

That was another common occurrence, whenever he left his house a voice would call out to him.

If it wasn’t strange enough a voice that a voice that seemed to come from nowhere would call out to him, it was the nicknames that they used.

It would be strange if whoever it was used America, it’s not common knowledge that nations exist, so Alfred would make sense since to humans that's who he is.

The issue is, it still never was.

Only ever Al, or more commonly Alfie. Only a few people use Al, Matthew used it the most being that he’s his twin. From time to time Arthur or Francis would call him that, but that was just about the extent of it. What was beyond him was Alfie, only England used that nickname for him when he was still a little colony.

When the voice had initially called to him it was startling, having not heard that name in years. After two months it still surprised him, but slowly he began to adjust. 

Alfred knew he was just paranoid, the stress in his country was just making this happen is all. 

That was all.

The meeting room was filled with the chatter of countries from around the world, speaking to each other about politics, trade or just simply making silly small talk.

He managed to find his seat, marked off by a simple folded cart with “America” written in cursive nicely. 

Taking a seat, next to him was England (although he was representing the United Kingdom as a whole) and Canada.

Despite the arguments he and Arthur would end up having, he always much prefered to be next to him any day. They honestly got along best, and while Alfred wasn’t shy he didn’t mind having someone who got along with already.

As Alfred began to set his belongings onto the table, Arthur began to speak to him.

“You’re quite early, that’s not typical of you.” his accent lacing each word “Would’ve assumed you’d show up late with one of your gross sugary drinks.”

He snorts at this, looking at his friend who hadn’t even looked up from his papers “I’m mixing things up, what can I say Iggy!” Alfred laughs, although thinking about it, he wouldn’t actually mind something sweet from starbucks. There was always time after the meeting.

The brit rolls his eyes, picking up his stack of papers, tapping them against the wood so the edges are lined up. “Right…”

As America was about to open his mouth to say something else, Germany’s voice echoed through the room calling the meeting to order.

Usually he would try and take control, since it was technically his turn to host and given he was one of the leading countries it would make sense.

But Germany would eventually take the lead because Alfred a lot of the time would get everyone off track, which would prompt the german to step in.

Plus, in all honesty Alfred was abnormally tired today, he really wished he had brought an extra cup of his coffee with him. He chalked it up to be the pattern of strange dreams he’d been having in addition to waking up so early to be the reason he felt this way.

Logically it was the only reason that made sense, he was usually so energetic. Today was just different.

Just different enough that Matthew picked up on it, quickly clicking at a pen he scribbled on the back of a sheet of paper asking Are you feeling okay?

He slid the paper over to his twin, hitting the side of Alfred’s hand.

Looking down at the sheet, he pulls it closer to him to write down his response.

Yah I’m good dude don’t worry about Good ol’ me :) Just tired is all

Pushing the paper back, Matthew reads it over, then looking over to him to raise one eyebrow as if he was asking ‘Really?’

Alfred only rolled his eyes, his face basically giving the answer ‘Yes, really’, then flicking his eyes to Germany who was droning on about borders. 

Matthew let out a sigh, turning to pay attention to Germany as well deciding to leave it for the time being. 

“Alright, we will reconvene after a quick lunch break. Please return in a half hour, free lunch is provided on the second floor if you wish. Thank you.”

Once Germany had finished speaking, countries picked up their conversations again. A few standing up to grab lunch or use the restroom.

Many of the nations would pack their own lunches, America included.

He knew they did this because they assumed the food served in the building wouldn’t be very good, and Alfred didn’t blame them because in all honesty it was garbage. He much preferred the food in his own home over whatever was being served.

“Aw crap!” He said, likely a little too loudly, as he looked under his chair. 

“Mind your language please Alfred, you’re in a professional setting your vocabulary should remain the same.” Arthur says as he sets up his own lunch, which was most definitely less appetizing than the food provided.

British food.

“Shit- I mean, uh, my bad.” Alfred sits up and grabs his car keys off the table to stand. “Sorry I left my lunch in the car!”

“I may have some extra, Amerique.” France says as he joins the group. “I don’t mind giving you some, it’s probably much better than the crap you brought”

“Language..” England mutters.

Nations were free to sit where they pleased to eat their meals. Each one would usually find themselves in typical small groups, their little lunch gang usually consisted of France, America, Canada, and England. Occasionally others would join in, but for the most part the four of them would enjoy their mealtime breaks together. They were essentially a family after all, as close as you could get being nations anyway.

Alfred only smiled and laughed loudly “Nah dude, I’ll just go get it from my car, it's no big deal!”

He leaves the meeting hall with a quick step making his way to the parking lot, opting to take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Despite being on the sixth floor he didn’t mind taking all those flights, he was fit after all and it would be good to get his blood bumping after sitting still for two hours.  
As he makes his way, he stops at the third floor.

“Alfie!”

He hears, his head snapping as he stops in front of the heavy door. The american stands there like a deer caught in headlights, just staring in front of him.

His hand rubs the back of his neck as he groans “I really need to let this stop getting to me…” he says quietly to himself.

Just as he is about to step away, the voice calls out to him again.

“Alfie!!”

Alfred stops again, this time turning his head slowly towards the door. 

Something was telling him to move, urging him to take a step through the door. 

So he does.

Much to his surprise, the very large hallway was empty. Even employee’s seemed to be absent from the area, which was strange.

But given the time, it was likely everyone was either at lunch break or in a meeting.

“Al!” It calls out again, this time it seems louder than before, closer than usual.

America continues to walk, his heart starting to hammer in his chest with each step that he takes into the empty corridor. 

As he passes each door, the calls that echo and bounce off the walls seem to grow more clear with each step. The enchanting sound of his nickname repeating itself until silence overcomes him. Some kind of force makes him come to a halt. 

At his left was a door, which for any person to pass by would seem entirely normal since it matched every other one that was in these halls.

However there was something just different about it. His hand extended out to touch the door handle, as soon as his skin met the cold metal the wood began to change. Gold patterns illuminated resembling vines that grew on trees in the woods, stretching over the dark color creating a beautiful design.

It would be appropriate if he turned around and screamed, running back to the meeting room and taking up France’s offer on the free meal (his food was amazing), then pretend this never happened  
Rather than fear though, he felt calm wash over him as he continued to keep his hand gently placed on the handle.

Once the design had ceased moving, his grip on the handle tightened as he gingerly opened the door.

He couldn’t suppress the gasp that left him, taking in the sight before him.

A beautiful forest laid in front of him, Oak and Pine tree’s filling the space as the warm sun shone down against the earth.

Alfred stepped inside his mouth agape, listening to the sounds of birds quietly chirp as they flew through the sky and squirrels chitter as they scamper through the woods.

In front of him, only a dirt road cut through the tree’s. As far as he could see, the only direction was straight for a while before it began to wind more. 

He took his first step slow, still looking all around him trying to process the area around him. He turned his head to face the door which still stood, only being he, up by one stone wall that was weared down by age.

His shoes pressed into the soft dirt as he continued to move forward, seemingly untouched for centuries. 

As he continued down the path, he barely noticed what began to happen to himself.

America began to grow shorter, his clothes were no longer the suit he wore but an outfit that resembled one that he wore as a child. The shirt was not tight against his skin, but a loose fabric that seemed to be made of the most gentle material. His glasses seemed to disappear off his face, his socks and shoes gone as well.

Only his bare feet began to sink into the earth, which was surprisingly somewhat cool to the touch. His pace began to pick up as he continued down his path, strangely not panicking in the slightest when he looked at his hands which were much smaller now.

Physically, he just looked like a child.

A chirping pulls his eyes towards the sky as he sees an eagle circle just above the tree’s. It continues to circle for a few seconds until it suddenly pulls off towards the east.

Alfred’s bare feet push off against the dirt, running off the path into the woods. The ground covered in patches of green grass, pine needles, and dead broken leaves that had fallen in the fall.   
He doesn’t even react to hitting the ground,it was as if he was just a boy again running through nature without a care in the world, as he followed the majestic bird.

America weaves his way through the tree’s, keeping focus on the animal.

With a sudden drop the eagle drops, diving down past the tops of the tree’s, the boy sprints faster, as he cuts through the forest.

He comes to a halt as he just reaches past the edge as he observes the clearing the eagle has led him to.

A field with beautiful, tall golden grass which almost looked like it was reflecting the light from the sun. 

The eagle was still soaring, wings just barely grazing the tops of the grass. 

Taking a breath, he steps into the field taking in the warmth that seemed to hold him the further he stepped.

A rabbit hopped out in front of him, startling him as he fell to the ground. He gasps, his arms jumping to protect his head as he hits the dirt. Alfred looks up to the tiny animal, it’s light tan fur glistening just like the plants that surround them.

It jumps onto the blonde’s chest, stepping closer as it’s twitching nose touches his own. A smile pulls at his cheeks as he lets out a small giggle wrapping his arms around the small animal. Just like the light, it’s fur was just as warm against his skin making him feel at ease. 

With the bunny still in his arms held close to his chest, he continued to step through his tiny head just barely above the tops.

The eagle was still soaring, now flying in a new direction. Alfred’s pace picked up as he began a slow jog following the bird. It let out a few chirps between each heavy beat of its wings, the wind flowing through his feathers keeping it in the air.

The boy, the bunny, and the eagle continue their fast paced journey until they reach the bank of a river. Finally, it lands on a smooth rock that sits just at the edge of the flowing water. Alfred feels a push against his chest, looking down he watches the bunny push out of his arms running towards the eagle. Naturally, he chases after it, stopping just behind the rock where the eagle sits and the bunny rests just below.

All he could think was how strange it was, they were predator and prey at the way they were close together and looked at each other as if they were companions of some sort. 

Water splashed up against the rocks, sensations of cool water contrasting the warm air hit against his bare feet causing a shiver to run up his spine. Looking away from the two, he sees a Wolf, the fur a dark gray it almost seemed to have a touch of blue to it.

She stood on a rock just on the edge on the other side, her blue eyes staring at him.

Alfred stood there frozen, only able to stare back as the animal began to leap from rock to rock coming towards him. She then dived into the water disappearing before Alfred’s eyes.

“No!” He calls out, his voice unfamiliar to himself seeing as he hadn’t heard it like this in hundreds of years. His small hand extends out towards where the wolf once was, eyes wide with fear looking around to see if there was any silhouette in the dark water of where she could have gone. 

With no warning, a splash in front of him takes the form of the wolf again. Alfred takes a few quick steps back at the sudden surprise, his eyes wide and trained on her. 

Slowly, he steps forward, his bare feet touching the smooth stone beneath him, some just a little wet from the river splashing. 

His arm goes out in front of him, his hand opening like a fan as he continues to move.

Before he knows it, his much smaller hand is against her soft fur, somehow not even wet despite just coming out of the water. His other hand soon joins as it goes through the gray, breathing softly he gently moves his arms back to his sides again.

She gently licks his forehead causing America to giggle. Wolf then lets out a howl, darting off along the side of the river. Following just behind were the other two animals, going off alongside the river parallel to the line of trees on the other side.

Alfred is soon just behind them, his footsteps thundering against the rocks as his speed picks up joining the group as they run.

In time they reach a steep waterfall, the loud sound of water rushing down to the wide river below that goes into a wide open lake. Without thinking, Alfred is the first that takes a leap off of the stone that juts out on the cliff. 

As he falls, he doesn’t feel scared. He practically steps through the air as if he’s creating an invisible path beneath him, wherever he steps a small spot glows white beneath him. Behind him, the animals seem to be doing the same. They each jump from each spot until they’re on the solid earth again. 

The gentle smile on Alfred’s doesn’t falter as they continue, reaching the end of the river where it runs off into the massive lake. Coming to a halt, the sun is setting and you can see a fog cover the top of the water. Looking to his right, he sees a large bear. 

His body turns to look at the beautiful mammal, slowly coming towards him.

They meet, Alfred holding out a hand just as he did for the wolf.

Only this time, the bear’s large head bumps against his tiny palm. The animal lets out a huff through his large nose, the air blowing down Alfred’s forearm. He steps closer, his hand remaining on the soft fur. He presses his nose against the fur taking in the smell.

Earthy, smells like pine and fresh dirt. It’s like he’s gardening back home planting the most beautiful flowers and vegetables.

“Alfie!” The voice rings out, Alfred pulls away from the bear quickly as he turns around.

He was in an empty meeting room. The smell of the building invaded his nostrils as he drew a sharp breath, reality smacking him across the face.

His toes wiggle in his shoes, looking down at hands that were now larger in comparison to what they were just moments before. 

America reaches up to the bridge of his nose where he can feel the cool mental rim of texas.

For just a moment, he stands like this completely still staring at the ground while he fiddles with the middle part of his glasses.

The gentle voice of Japan saying “America-san!” breaks his trance as he quickly looks up.

“There you are, we’ve been looking for you so we can start the meeting again.” The short japanese man approaches him, then bowing slightly in front of him “I apologize if i’m being too intrusive but… are you crying?” he asks, concern clearly displayed in his brown eyes.

“Huh?” America reaches up to touch his cheek, rubbing his hand under his glasses. He feels wetness on his skin. He hadn’t even noticed. 

“Are you okay?” Japan surely must have noticed the surprise that was painted across his face at that moment.

Alfred quickly smiles his signature grin and starts to laugh, taking off his glasses to wipe away his tears “Of course my man! Now let's get going before Germany rips us a new one yeah?” he says cheerfully despite supposedly just crying.

Japan only jumps slightly at the sudden noise straightening out his posture “Um right, I’m sorry.” He begins to leave, Alfred following just behind.

As he slips his glasses back onto his face goin out the door, he turns around one more time looking into the empty room before closing the door.


	2. Burst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out, it wasn't a daydream.

The walk back to the meeting room was met in silence between Japan and America. They were best friends, or at least to Alfred they were, but after encountering someone standing alone in an empty room crying conversations would be a bit awkward.

Alfred still couldn't piece together the reason behind his tears, maybe whatever had just happened was one hell of a day dream. He was always prone to spacing out and feeling like he was in another place altogether; although never to that extent.

Or at least that would be an assumption had Japan not pointed out the dirt on his shoe while they were waiting for the elevator.

Initially it was a shock, but if he was being honest with himself it makes sense. Everything felt too real to be just a simple case of daydreaming, plus it also took up the entire lunch time block.

Which was starting to come back to him as his stomach would growl awkwardly throughout the meeting, playing it off with a hardy laugh and a pat to his belly saying "Guess I didn't fill the tank enough!"

His train of thought didn't stop throughout the day, imagery of what happened spinning through his head.

By the time the meeting only had an hour left he came to the conclusion talking to England would be important. Even if his whole magic thing was weird, he would be the best help.

"And that concludes our meeting for today, thank you and have safe travels back home." The German voice echoes throughout the room as nations begin to shuffle their belongings together and start to leave the room. Quiet conversations begin to build between the personifications, their dinner and evening plans mostly.

Alfred turns excitedly to Arthur "Hey Iggy!" he says, his volume much louder than everyone else, drawing in some side glances. "Wanna grab some dinner?"

The nation flinched initially, glaring at the american with a scowl.

He fiddled with the fabric against his thigh, waiting for England to answer his question.

First he sighed, slouching as he packed up his belongings. "Fine... but, it must be a good place. I don't want anything-" his nose scrunches in disgust "terribly greasy for supper."

"Yes!" America cheered, putting together his own things "I know the perfect place, it's a really nice family owned restaurant near my house! The best american kinda food Iggy!" he throws his case underneath his arm.

"Would you stop calling me that?" England says, although full well knowing that the nickname would still be used regardless. "Right, would you be willing to drive then? My hotel was only across the street so I didn't bother getting a rental."

America nodded in response, so the two left the building and got into the car.

As Alfred drove, the car was met with silence. The only sound was whatever came on the radio station and occasional comments on the scenery from his brother.

It wasn't a terribly wrong car ride, traffic at this hour seemed to have relatively cleared up by the time their meeting had ended.

Once the two arrived at the establishment, they were seated and ordered their drinks. They made small talk over their drinks as they waited for their entrees to be brought out to them. England ordered a simple soup with fries (or which the British country insisted they were called chips to the younger which elicited a laugh from the other.) America decided to also get fries with a cheeseburger, nothing too out of the ordinary for him.

Alfred stirred his drink with a straw, staring at the ice twirl around the blue, hard plastic cup with his Coke. He looked up to see England scrolling through something on his phone casually.

His gaze traveled out the window near their booth where they sat. The setting sun turns the once blue sky to more of a pale pink or purple color. He inhales slowly, followed by a similar exhale as he begins to work up the nerve to speak to the man about his... daydream.

He wanted to just ignore the problem, but something about the experience still hadn't settled with him well.

"Hey, um, Artie." The British country looked up at him, his phone still slightly casting a glow against his face. "Can I ask you something, about magic?"

At first he looked confused, America asking about his magic was not exactly a normal question. In fact, any regard to his magic was typically seen as just a joke. Hesitantly, he says "Sure..."

"Okay, so um. I've been having dreams lately." he pauses, placing his hands on the table as he very gently drummed against the surface, careful not to make any noise. "That are strange- and I mean they are weird because they feel real. Like, too real."

He swallows, his breathing shakes for just a moment as he reflects on his previous dreams. Each moment filled with some kind of bitter sweetness, each passing moment in the experiences he couldn't quite recall, but feeling the strong emotions that came with them. "They feel real, like they're memories but I can't piece together from when. It's been happening for like, what? Maybe three months now.I just kinda thought they were just bizarre or something."

Unable to maintain eye contact, his eyes drifted to each object that sat on the table and around them. "Then, a voice started calling out to me. You know that old nickname you gave me, from when I was a kid? It would just say Alfie, and I mean. I just assumed it was like, stress y'know? Being a nation is hard and I was thinking it was reminding me of when I was younger to relax or some shit like that but I-I..."

The feelings going through Alfred slowly became overwhelming as he continued to speak. He couldn't place why, but it likely had something to do with the fact Japan had seen him with tears running down his face in the first place.

He took in another deep breath before he continued, trying to compose himself to keep the waterworks from bursting.

"Today, at the meeting. During lunch when I walked away I heard the voice again. I just, I felt like I had to follow it, for some reason. Then, I was just in this- this strange place. I was in the woods, and for some reason I was a kid again. There was an eagle, and a bunny that like, glowed or something. Then a Wolf who could turn into water, I could walk on air like I was creating my own path and, and then there was a bear. A large bear, who just let me touch her. Then just in a blink, I was back in the meeting building. I guess I spaced out for like, the entire block. Or I thought I spaced out, but there was dirt on my shoe... so, yeah."

For the first time since he started rambling, he looked up to Arthur, who's hand was brought up to his mouth. His eyebrows were scrunched together as if he was deep in thought. Green eyes were trained on the cup filled with iced tea in front of him, focusing on nothing but the object.

"Iggy?"

Britain jolts straightening himself out, composing himself again. "Sorry lad, that is very strange I have to say. But, I'm not entirely sure what it would have to do with my magic."

America slouches back into the cushioned bench sighing in defeat, bringing the straw of his beverage to his lips as he takes a long sip. "You're right, um sorry Artie..." he sets the cup back onto the table "Never mind it's all just imaginary I just haven't been sleeping well that's all. The animals, the voice, the weird door thing with the tree, th-"

"Wait!" England interrupts, quickly dialing his volume back realizing how loud he was. Clearing his throat, he continues "Did you say a tree?"

Alfred raises an eyebrow, sipping his drink again as he nods.

Arthur grabs his bag, going through all the papers pulling one mostly blank sheet out and a pen.

The ball point of the pen runs across the page etching out a quick, but intricate and detailed sketch of a tree. Once completed, the Brit slides the parchment across the table in front of the American.

"The design, did it look like this perhaps? Was it glowing?"

For just a moment, he stares studying the patterns of the bark, leaves, and branches. If someone were to just draw a tree, it wouldn't be as distinct as this one. The design was incredibly specific, striking as familiar in Alfred's brain.

He nods, looking up to England again.

Arthur's expression changed from something deep in thought, instead it morphed to something filled with concern, maybe fear. He looked scared, he took the paper making it a ball and shoved it back into his bag. "We have to leave, now."

Alfred blinking sits up straight "Wait, now? Dude I haven't even gotten my burger-"

"Now, Alfred." The country stands throwing a few American dollars on the table to cover the beverages and something extra for the poor waitress. He was already practically out the door when Alfred finally quickly rushed to Follow behind him.

England instructed America to go back to his home, once they arrived the Brit requested to have a room for his own privacy to make a few phone calls. He was confused, and would much rather have some kind of explanation but knowing he wouldn't get one by the end he just complied.

While the older man sat in another room upstairs, America killed his time by resting in the living room of his home, flicking through the channels mindlessly. He hadn't really been paying attention entirely, somewhat spacing out as he did so.

The grumble of his stomach pulls him out, realizing he hadn't eaten.

With a groan, he pushes himself to go to his kitchen. Going through the fridge he settles on some leftovers from a few nights ago, just some slices of pizza but it was good and better than nothing at all.

He decides to pop them in a toaster oven, leaning against the counter as he heats them up. It would be much faster if he put them in the microwave, but under the assumption he would have time it wouldn't hurt for it to take a few extra minutes. Besides, it would be crispier if he toasted it and that always beats soggy.

While waiting for his slice of pizza to finish heating up, listening to the clicking of the toaster's timer, the front doorbell rings through the house.

Alfred raises an eyebrow and goes to the front door opening it, much to his surprise a group of other nations stand in front of him. "Uh..."

"Finally you all are here, Alfred let them come inside." Alfred jumps at the sound of England's voice from right behind him, quickly moving out of the way.

Turning to the man, he clears his throat throwing quick glances to the people walking into his home as they talk among themselves "Um... Dude why are..."

"I'll explain everything in just a moment lad, Alright! Everyone please have a seat, please." The small crowd gathers into the living room, some sitting on the coach or living room floors, or some taking a seat on the floor since every other spot had been filled.

Alfred looks around the room, looking at each face to see who had come into his home since he hadn't yet had the chance to actually see who.

Gathered together in the front was Norway and England, talking to each other quietly both of them with relatively serious expressions.

Sitting on the coach was China, Japan, and Germany. Kiku and Ludwig seemed to be holding the conversation while Yao would more so just listen to what they were saying. Italy sat on the arm of the furniture, interjecting to make a silly comment as the other two spoke.

Taking up the arm chairs, was France, Russia, and Finland. Being there's only two arm chairs, the Finnish man took his place sitting on the arm that Francis sat on. It was a strange trio to group together, but they seemed somewhat pleased talking to each other.

This left Alfred on his carpeted floor in front of the coffee table next to his twin. "Hey Mattie, whats up man?"

Canada turned his head to face his brother "I'm good Al." His hand runs through the white fur of his bear. "What about you?"

Alfred snorts, waving a hand "Dude, I'm fine." he pauses, looking back to England and Norway at the front of the room "Why is everyone here anyway I'm really confused."

Matthew raises his brow "I have no idea, Arthur just said to come here as soon as we could."

Just as he finished, as if it was on cue, England faces everyone in the room "Right, so I'm sure you're wondering why you are all here."

He was met with the sound of agreement, from mostly tired and confused personifications.

Flicking his wrist behind him, the fireplace behind him is lit casting a gentle, orange glow throughout the room. "As you know, we personifications are more in touch with magic in this day and age. Even when humans had some kind of... connection with it. We've always been more in tune, some more than others." he nods his head to Norway

Lukas begins speaking, continuing what the English man had been saying "Recently, our magic has begun to fade. Britain has lost some kind of touch as I have lost most contact with the trolls. As these last few months have passed, the more it seems to diminish."

The people in the room grew more confused as the two in front of them spoke, Germany being the first to speak up. "I understand that this is important to you both, why are we here? We aren't exactly the most... magical types."

With a deep breath, Arthur turns to Norway. This prompts him to cast an image of the tree England had drawn earlier that evening. The image was Three Dimensional, the pattern glowing a magnificent gold color, blending with the illumination from the flames.

"It's like..." America mumbles to himself

"This tree is the source of that power." Arthur begins. "It mothers the four spirits that carry just parts of that energy. Typically, they take the form as animals to the human eye. Not only does this hold the energy for our magic but..." he hesitates, exchanging a worried glance with Lukas. "It also holds the power that let us, personifications exist.

A collective gasp filled the room, all eyes widening as suddenly this became much more serious.

Norway continues "The first signs are the loss of magical beings, weakened magic, capability to perform certain spells. Eventually it will result in one thing; us disappearing."

Silence passed through the room, everyone too stunned to think of anything to say, to move.

"What is likely the problem, is some kind of outside force. Something we don't understand. In order to stop it we have to let this tree grow and disperse her energy back into the world and let it vanquish whatever is causing this to happen." he takes a deep breath, looking to America who sits with his legs crossed in front of him. "Alfred, I think you may have been the first person who came in contact with them in the last thousands of years. The only way we can find them is through you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping for chapters to be longer (and better lmao) in the future so I'm looking to do that. I'm still not used to chapter fics so I'll get into the swing of it soon enough!! Ty for reading!


	3. Going Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They entire Alfred's dream to unlock a memory to find the first spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept kinda busy this week so this chapter is rushed but it be like that

All eyes were on him.

Most of the time that was just a feeling, an anxious one that felt like everyone's attention was on him. However this time, it wasn't just something driven by an insecurity it was very literal this time.

Everyone's gaze was fixated on him, he felt like his breath was caught somewhere in his chest and he wasn't to inhale or exhale.

The growling of his stomach broke the silence, he awkwardly looked down at his own stomach as his hand rubbed over it.

"Right." Alfred stands up, looking around to everyone. "I'll be, right back."

He quickly makes his way to the kitchen new lining to the toaster oven where his pizza still sits on the tray. Thankfully it had been set to a timer so it wasn't burnt, a little cooler than he would've liked it, but still warm enough to enjoy.

America pulls it out, taking a bite to turn and lean against the counter. England is already standing in the entrance of the room, his arms crossed.

He walks closer slowly, watching as Alfred tries to eat his food without looking like he was going to vomit.

"Alfred, are you okay?"

The American gives him a look, quirking his brow as he takes another bite of his Pizza. "What do you think?" He says with a mouthful of food.

Arthur sighs "Alfred I know this is a lot, but-"

"You do?" Taking the final large bites, chewing between each word "Can you imagine being told that some stupid dreams you've had are actually Memories from your childhood that you don't even remember happening?" his voice slowly becomes shaky, speaking faster. He walks to his Refrigerator, pulling out a chilled can of Coke. "and on top of that if I don't figure them out, every nation is going to disappear. My friends... my family they're gonna be gone..."

America sats the can on the counter, his hands slide under his glasses to rub his eyes keeping them there to cover his face. "God... what am I gonna do?"

England walks over to him "For someone who always claims to be a hero you seem pretty upset actually having to save people."

"I am a Hero!" He pulls his hands down, raising his voice slightly. "The stakes are never this high! I just feel like that if I fail-"

"You Won't." Arthur cuts him off, placing his hands on the other's shoulders. "You aren't alone in this Alfred, You aren't going to fail because a whole lot of others and I are going to help." he pulls him into a hug, holding him tightly. Feeling Alfred's hands fist at the fabric of his dress shirt, a shaken exhale against his shoulder.

The two stand there for a bit, Alfred trying to relax himself from his internalized panic. When he is ready, he pulls away and gives England a smile, the twisting himself slightly to grab his soda and crack it open. He takes a quick sip, raising a hand to give a thumbs up "Alright, I'm ready!"

The two walk into the living room, all the occupants already glaring at them with worry.

Arthur is the first to start speaking, clapping his hands together. "Here is the plan, I'm going to cast a spell that will allow America to fall asleep and access these memories. While he does, I am going to cast another spell so that we can be in his mind and view them, that way we have more than one set of eyes looking for what we need to find. He would have come in contact with them, what we need to see is where he did. Norway and another nation will stay outside to watch over us, and pull any one out of the spell if we have to. Now." He pauses, looking around the room. "Any questions?"

Silence filled the room, everyone looking at each other. It seemed as though there were no questions, they began to get to work.

The setup was America's bedroom, given it had the most space and the least Arthur could do was let Alfred fall asleep in his own, comfortable bed. Everyone else was either given a blanket or a sleeping bag America had stored for when he went on his camping trips.

Russia pointed and laughed at some of the stray articles of clothing on the floor, namely a pair of American flag boxer briefs and Captain America shirt. To which Alfred just replies with "Shut up dude, I'm nineteen!" as he picks up any stray articles of clothing to toss into the laundry hamper.

Once everything was ready Alfred changed into a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, he insisted he would rather be comfortable if he's going to be sleeping.

No one really argued with him, so he got comfortable underneath his blankets. Admittedly, he felt a little uncomfortable since everyone was currently watching him as he was laying in bed.

Just try to ignore it Alfred.

Arthur stood to his right, holding what looked to be a very old book in his hand. "Are you ready?" he asks.

America nods, looking up at him.

The Brit removes his glasses, placing them on the bedside table. "Right, I'm going to cast the spell." he places his hand on his forehead, saying a line of Latin as green glows just beneath his palm.

Blue eyes flutter closed as his lips part just slightly.

The green fades away, Arthur pulls back his hand. "Alfred?" Snapping his fingers just in front of his face. A small snore escapes him, making him laugh just a bit.

"Alright everyone." He turns to face the other nations. "Go to your places, and Norway is going to put us inside of Alfred's head."

Everyone walks to where they had set up their small arrangements.

Arthur was closest to the bed, resting at the foot with France and Canada being right next to him. England initially detested having to sleep next to "the stupid froggy french face", but when Canada said they could compromise and and go in between them it was easily resolved. After all, the three felt the closest to Alfred as their family.

Japan was a close second to them, being Best friends with America. He wasn't too far away laying down next to Germany and Italy, who were sharing the same blanket. ("Germany! Please share with me!" "Nien!" "Please Germany! Please~" "Nien Italy!" "But Germany!")

The rest being Russia and China found themselves spaced out from the rest, China wanting to be on the fluffy carpet ("I'm Old!") and Russia wanting to distance himself. He and America were not close, he would say he didn't care and take it to his grave, but deep down he would hate for his long time enemy to go through something like this alone. When two people have been at each other's necks for so long, it can be hard not to care when something else is causing them pain.

Norway and Finland stayed standing, a desk chair and one from the dining room left out for them to sit and wait on.

Lukas finds the spell he is going to cast in the book Arthur had been holding previously. "Is everyone ready?"

The nations collectively nodded as they laid back against the pillows. "Ready." Arthur says, also nodding towards the Norwegian.

This prompts him to read the spell, raising his hand out towards the group as purple emits a soft glow around the room which soon enough results in everyone to fall asleep.

"What now?" Tino asks, taking a seat in the dining chair.

Norway sets the book on the dresser as he takes a seat in the leather desk chair. "We wait."

Alfred blinks, finding himself just on the outskirts of a small town.

Dawn was just beginning to peek through as the sun's rays leaked into the dark sky. The fresh smell of air hit his nostrils, tree's around him quivering as a gentle please flowed through the branches.

He knew he was a kid, judging but the colonial setting and his clothes being ones that he wore as a child. Also noting that he was much shorter, his hands also being smaller.

"Alfred!" He hears, turning to see the crowd behind him, all of the other nations standing behind him.

America walks closer to the group "Okay dude we're here, what now?" His brow scrunching together again the sound of his own voice.

"Well soon enough your mind and body will start moving like it did in your memory." Arthur starts. "You won't be able to register that we're here in a moment as well as all the people who were part of the event, since we weren't actually here when it occurred. We're just watching it happen."

Alfred nods "Well, then I guess we can start by walking through town."

The group begins to move, checking out the buildings and signs that littered the area. They stuck together since the only country that knew the area was America, given it's his land and obviously somewhere he had been before. Although, it was clear he didn't recognize it entirely.

"America, I hope you don't mind me asking." China says that while peeking into a shop that was currently closed given it was still early in the morning "where are we?"

Alfred takes a minute, scoping out a bit more of the area tapping his chin. "I can't remember... it looks and feels different like..." he trails off as his gaze locks into the open road.

First he hears a shout, a loud sound of shutting doors and a clinking of metal. Alfred tenses, taking short breaths as his feet shift slightly. His eyes go wide as the sound of a small group of men get louder. The other nations stand still watching Alfred stand like he was expecting something to happen.

In the blink of an eye, five men are seen turning a corner and Alfred sprints in the other direction. At first they're shocked at the sudden movement, but follow behind the child as close as they can despite how fast he seemed to be going.

He ran into the forest, dodging tree's, branches, and bushes. The group was gaining on him, as he ran Alfred was panicking, his footfalls hard against the dirt and dead leaves that littered the ground.

America trips, his foot getting caught in a tree root that had been sticking out of the ground. With a thud, he hits the forest floor hard and lets out a yelp. He quickly flips to his back, seeing the men had caught up to him as they were practically standing over him.

His legs kicked against the ground as he struggled to stand back up pushing back to slide against the ground as they came closer.

One of them grabs his forearm pulling him up off the ground forcefully, he whimpers. He fully knew he could pull away but he didn't want to hurt someone, not one of his own people. Another man comes up from behind him grabbing his other arm, they then bind his arms behind his back together.

Alfred panics as two of them pick him up on both sides of his arms, he kicks his legs breathing heavily, his eyes darting to each face and anything surrounding them.

He only struggled slightly against their grip, afraid of bringing more harm to him or to them.

They carried him into town, where he was put on a wooden platform where people were beginning to gather beneath him.

"Alfred F. Jones." He hears a man begin to speak, but instead of looking at him he keeps his gaze fixated on the floor below him. "You are charged with witchcraft. Having not aged beyond eight years old for many years, you will be executed as a warning for any other witches to see."

Next, he is put on top of a stool, his bare feet touching the splintery wood beneath him. He looks to his right, seeing the man take the harsh rope material be fastened around his neck into a noose. He looks back out into the crown "Arthur!" he calls out, despite knowing his brother was far across the ocean. All he could do was scream in hope that somehow, someone would hear him. His heart thudded in his chest.

Looking down, the stool that was beneath him disappeared as he felt the rope tighten around his neck as he blacked out with a quick snap.

The countries stood and watched with horror.

Seeing the poor, young boy dangle from the plank that kept him up.

The cheering crowd soon enough dispersed, going back to their day to day lives. Most of them are likely pretending they didn't just watch a child be executed right before their very eyes.

They knew nations couldn't die, they would just fall asleep for a few hours while their bodies healed themselves. However it couldn't change the emotional damage that it would leave them in and the physical pain it typically left behind. It was still difficult to watch, especially when the victim is only a young child.

Arthur covered his mouth, feeling a tremor go down his spine when the young boy had called out his name. He had no idea that the boy had gone through something like that, all alone no less.

For the time being, all the nations could do was wait for Alfred to wake up. Since he was part of the memory state, they could not touch or move him. The boy would not even be able to know that they were there when he woke up.

So they waited, hours had gone by with the sun setting in the distance till light was gone completely and the sky went dark.

Alfred drew a sharp gasp, his eyes widening as his hands quickly swung back and forth. His face was beginning to turn a bright red color as he continued to suffocate. Pulling his hands apart, the rope that binds him snapped apart. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny knife he had kept with him. Using one hand to pull himself up with the noose, he used the other to saw away allowing him to break free and hit the wooden floor.

He takes several quick deep breaths as he grabs his throat, falling to his side as he chokes out a sob. America lays there crying softly as he curls up on himself. It breaks Arthur's heart to watch, seeing the young colony he raised be so alone and feel so hurt because this had happened. It felt as though someone had reached inside his chest and crushed his heart.

"Look..." A voice cuts through, Russia pointing towards the woods, where a soft gold light emitted from a singular point in the bushes.

A Bunny hops into site, her nose twitching as she looks around the area. She quietly moves towards Alfred, jumping her way to the platform. At first he doesn't notice, too occupied with air finally entering and exiting his lungs after hours of not breathing. She then leaps over top of him, startling the boy who quickly sits up and backs away.

The two face each other with wide eyes, but after just a few moments he relaxes slightly. He scoots closer to her, which the bunny remains still for. It's no surprise to him at first, he is good with animals and they usually take a liking to him as well. Reaching out, the bunny sniffs his hand, which she then leaps towards him so he catches her with his arms.

Alfred holds her close to his chest, pressing his cheek into her fur. It was only warm, comforting him as he began to calm down. He laid down again continuing to hold the bunny close to him, who also snuggled just as close. His hand ran over her soft fur slowly, the tears that fell down his cheeks began to come to a stop and his sniffles died down.

As time passed, the light from the animal disappeared and the creature began to fade away.


	4. Salem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They go to Salem, hoping to find what they’re looking for. Alfred, discovers something else.

America shot up out of the bed, instinctively grabbing his neck, rubbing his skin. He closed his eyes, taking deep breathes to relax. 

Tears silently fell down his cheeks slowly, somewhat in relief that his dream was over and the sudden flood of memories that suddenly came back to him.

He always knew the witch trials happened, they were an important part of his history. Although, it was apparent he had repressed the memory that he was there, he had died. 

For a nation it was temporary of course, but the emotional damage still sat with them.

England was the first to wake up out of the other nations, rushing to America's side to grab his hand. 

Alfred looked to the side to see his former caretaker, he hadn't even noticed Finland had also ran to his side when he had seen the sudden display of emotion. 

Followed not far behind England was Canada, who through habit climbed onto the bed right next to Alfred pulling him in close for a hug. Matthew guided his brother's head gently to press against his shoulder. "Are you okay Al?"

The blonde nods, inhaling the fabric of his twin's shirt relaxing as he takes in his presence.

Although they typically show it in front of others, the North American brothers were close. Of course not as they used to be, when they were still young colonies living under the same roof the two were practically inseparable. After the revolution, things between them obviously changed; not to mention 1812 was another story. However, eventually the two reconnected and became the close pair of twins again. Getting together on Holidays, weekends, and major sporting events (as long as it wasn't America's football) they had a tight bond. 

Many nations didn't see this side of their relationship though, mostly because at meetings America constantly had eyes on him with Matthew taking his spot in the background of his much louder sibling. They typically didn't stay together during meetings either, despite being quite the goof off Alfred was prone to being a workaholic from time to time. 

At this point, the other nations had woken up, standing awkwardly around to see the display in front of them, not for any other reason besides how strange it was to see America seem so vulnerable.

A few more moments of silence passed as Alfred calmed down, once he was he sat up to looked to Arthur, waiting for any questions he had. The process of how things were supposed to occur was still rather confusing to everyone.

England gave America a sympathetic look, as much as he wanted to reach our to his ex colony and be a shoulder to cry on knowing what he let him go through as a child; he found his stubborn pride sitting in the way.

Aside from that, there was still much more to come, it was too soon to be soft.

"Well, for starters we must visit that last location, Alfred can you tell us where this was?" England asks as he fixes his posture to stand up straighter.

America nods, his hand running over the skin of his neck slowly taking a moment in his own thoughts before speaking. "Salem." He averts his gaze to look at his comforter, his feet shifting underneath to brush up against each other. "Um, Salem Massachusetts. It's about an hour plane ride to Boston, then a thirty minute drive to Salem."

He was met with a collective group of nods, followed by the Brit speaking up again "Then we should get moving, Tino?" he turns to the Finnish man just over his shoulder "time?"

Finland removes his cellphone from his pocket to check "Almost three am." 

"Then we should get moving, everyone should return to their hotel rooms and collect their belongings. Also call your bosses and tell them you will be extending your time in the states. I'm going to remain here with America for the time being, book our flights and arrange a place to stay. For now, we'll sleep on the plane and in the airport if we need to. Time is of the essence, meet at the airport in an hour."

The nations left, mostly quiet except for a few exchanges between Italy and Germany. Despite sleeping, they were undoubtedly tired.

"England." A soft voice cuts through; England looks to Canada who is still at America's side. "I'd like to stay with Al, he needs me right now." Arthur nods his head in response, he figured it was for the best.

As much as he wished his little brother was dependent on him like he used to be, he could not deny how the North American twins were close. He recalls even how as twins they were attached at the hip. If the situation had not been so... sensitive he would of laughed at their roles. When they were children, physically no more than maybe eight or nine, America was the more protective one. Constantly sticking up for his much younger sibling above everything.

It was strange to see him so quiet, pressing his body against his brother for any kind comfort he can get.

Before Francis could leave the room, Arthur grabs his wrist gently causing the Frenchman to look to him. "I expect you can handle both of our belongings?" His head tilts to Matthew who's attention was reserved for America at the moment.

France nods, smiling softly as his eyes lay on the two brothers then back to England. "Oui, do you need me to grab anything else?"

Arthur shakes his head, if they did need anything they could always get it on the trip. The convenience of Americans with their large chains.

The two men exchange goodbyes for the time being, then the rest of the personifications were gone leaving just the three occupying the home.

"I should pack my things." Alfred says, pulling away from Canada to slide off the bed. His legs swing over the sides, then taking his glasses from the bedside table. He slips the frames onto his face, pushing it up the bridge of his nose.

He sits for a moment, squinting his eyes with his nose and brow scrunching together. Taking the sides of his glasses and adjusting them, pulling them just a little bit away from his face.

Arthur tilts his head "Is everything alright?" noticing how strange the American was acting.

"It's just..." he continues to fix the glasses on his face trying to adjust them properly. "It hurts to wear them it's like..." he walks to his desk after putting his glasses aside to the table again, picking up a random paper that had words scribbled onto them. He could read it.

No shocker, he could read despite how stupid people pegged him to be, but what was shocking is that he could read without his glasses.

Since Texas became a state in 1845- hence why he calls his glasses Texas (every pair is dubbed Texas) he has needed them to see. Alfred was Far sighted, but even then things far away could be relatively blurry.

"Alfred?" Matthew looks at his brother, now standing beside the bed.

America turns to face the two in his bedroom "I can read."

Arthur snorts, earning a huff and a side glance from Canada, walking to Alfred and putting his hand on his shoulder. "I would sure hope so lad."

"No it's not that." He shrugs the hand off, tossing the sheet back onto the desk. "I can read without my glasses, I can see."

Both of the other two occupants eyes widen, this was interesting. The young man walked into the bathroom that was attached to his bedroom, throwing the door wide open and flicking on the lights to look at his own reflection.

Not far behind were Canada and England, who saw the American studying his own reflection. A few seconds pass, Alfred running his hands over his cheeks and nose squinting as he looked at himself. He lets out a quiet groan, then looks to Matthew who was standing not to far away from him. He shuffles closer to Matthew, still standing in front of the mirror.

Alfred groans again, throwing his head back as he runs his hands through his hair.

"What is wrong?" Arthur finally asks, crossing his arms in front of him as he watched the younger throw himself a pity party for some reason unknowing to him.

The blonde straightens himself turning around to face Arthur, Matthew just as confused turning with him. His hand is placed on top of his golden hair, then with a quick swipe his hand it hits his brother's cheeks.

"Hey!" Matthew sharply turns his head to America, rubbing his cheek that had just been hit. Alfred pays no mind to this, throw his hands up to England who still looked just as perplexed as he did a moment ago. The man shrugged still questioning what the boy was going on about.

"Artie, I'm shorter than Matthew." He points out, which Canada also realizes as soon as he says it, that he is a good few inches shorter.

"Well... Um, maybe you always have been shorter and just now are noticing!" Arthur spits out, admittedly he never did pay attention to the height of the two boys once they grew. In fact he didn't pay much attention at all, once again his pride mostly keeping him from having a close eye on them. Although, now looking at the American upon closer inspection, he was actually short. Perhaps four or five inches shorter than his northern counterpart. Alfred was shorter than himself, which did raise an interesting question since the last time he could recall him being shorter than him was...

"Dude I'm literally shorter than you!" Alfred walks out of the room, removing his shirt then digging through his dresser to hopefully find a shirt they fit him better. 

... Right before the American revolution. 

He did manage to find a smaller shirt, throwing it on despite it still be rather loose on his now smaller frame. Then he walks to his closet, sliding the hangers holding different pieces of clothing to the side trying to find a hoodie or sweatshirt of some kind.

As he did this, Arthur began to rub his chin as he watched Alfred. He did look young, just by observing he did look somewhere between Fifteen or Sixteen years old. Seventeen may have even been pushing it, the boy had always appeared on the younger side especially as a child.

However this did pose an interesting question, why did he look this way? Arthur did not believe the spell he had cast should present side effects such as aging in reverse.

The blonde finds a light blue hooded sweatshirt, throwing it on over head. He pulls on the draw strings of his sweatpants, pulling them up just a tad then tying them to tighten it around his hips.

Unless he misread his spell book, that was always a possibility. No, it wasn't. Such a severe possibility using magic that could result in this, it would be obvious. Even if he himself did not notice, Norway would very much likely point it out to him.

Something else was impacting Alfred. Whatever it was, Arthur would try his hardest to figure it out.

Matthew approached his twin, who was huffing to himself about being so young again. "Al we'll figure this out soon." he was always much better at handling his brother when he got angry. Although it didn't happen often, from time to time at meetings when someone rubs America the wrong way Canada is the man for the job to keep his brother from throwing a chair. "For now we need to pack your things and get onto the next plane for Boston. We'll even buy you clothes that fit, I promise." Giving him a pat on the back.

Alfred sighs, going into his closet to grab a backpack for carry on to gather some easy belongings. He couldn't fit in his own clothes anyway there was no point in bringing them. Just packing essential such as toiletries, maybe a book, his charger, and other things of the sort.

Whatever was happening to him, Arthur would be sure to fix it. A lot was falling on his shoulders at once, one more thing might be too much to handle.

The trio met at the airport, just a few minutes behind the other group. They would have been on time had it not been for Alfred getting upset that he wasn't allowed to drive just in case they got pulled over. Matthew managed to convince him to let him drive, which was easier than getting him to let Arthur drive.

Despite being just a little late, it was still a decent amount of time before their flight was supposed to board. They got through customs and decided to find a small food court where they each fueled up with snacks and coffee.

While waiting on some of the benches for their flight, Alfred's height had been pointed it out. China noticed first, laughing at the fact America was now shorter than him. Had it not been for Finland putting his hands gently on his shoulders reassuring that his height was not permanent, remarking it was rude to Yao. Of course Tino did not know this for a fact, he just knew it was the only way to squash any chance of a fight between the two. He happened to notice with Lukas while the group was all sleeping, that the American appeared to be shrinking. Norway was not entirely sure why either, and had intended on discussing it with England on the plane

Finally they were able to board the plane and landed in Boston. The car ride from the airport to Salem had been a little hellish because they were a little caught up in early morning rush traffic. Checking in and booking a hotel had also been quite difficult, settling for just three rooms seeing as they were decently priced and the best to find on such short notice. 

Gathering up all of their belongings they settled into their rooms, each one having a pull out couch and twin beds. It was not ideal, but thankfully for the group that they had it was not too difficult to split them up.

Germany, Italy, Japan, and China took one of the rooms. Germany and Italy being close (also because Feliciano insisted on it) they took a bed. Kiku was also rather close with the two and did not mind sharing a room, despite Yao not being good friends with the two Europeans taking the pull out seemed like the easiest solution. He did get Japan to switch sleeping arrangements with him, as the coach was "too harsh and lumpy for his brittle, old bones!"

Taking the room down the hall was Norway, Finland, and Russia. The trio being northern countries admittedly liked their rooms being cold, grouping them together would make it so others wouldn't complain about it getting too cold. It was also June meaning it could get fairly warm, the AC blasting may be a must.

The last room just across the hall was England, Canada, France, and America. Being twins and sharing beds as kids, the North American's took a bed together. Arthur and France argued who should take the bed, but then Francis took the coach admitting he would just sneak into Arthur's bed when he was asleep. England huffed, crossing his arms, but didn't exactly detest the idea of sharing the bed with "the stupid cheese loving frog." followed by several mumbled curses. 

After a two hour nap, everyone agreeing that it was appropriate, they met up again later to grab lunch at a nearby restaurant to discuss course of action (Of course after a quick stop at a department store to buy Alfred some sort of appropriate clothes.)

"You never really elaborated" Germany begins at the table after handing the menu to their waitress, who saunters off to put in their orders. "What are we preciously looking for here?"

Arthur takes a sip of his hot tea, scrunching his nose at the bitter flavor as he reaches to grab a sugar packet from the little cup holding them.

American tea, it was not the best. 

"To begin we'll walk around the historical areas, which may be a good start." He rips open the paper top of the package, tapping the side into his cup. "We're looking for the animal we saw in Alfred's dream" he places the packet to the side, then picking up his spoon to stir. "Which in this case is a rabbit, it seems to glow-"

"She." Alfred cuts into England's sentence.

The Brit is startled by this, blinking at first then turning to the boy who he seated next to him. It was such a strange tone, one that resembled when the boy would find any reason to start something with his caretaker. "Excuse me?" He asks, setting the table back onto the table.

"The bunny, she's a girl." He looks away from the older man, pulling his soda closer to him to sip on his soda.

"and you know this, how?" Arthur asks, picking up his cup and sipping, tasting much less like bitter water and a tad better.

Alfred's eyebrows shot up as his eyes widened, having realized he didn't quite know how he knew this either. He blinked slowly once, then twice slouching into his chair just a bit. "Um... I dunno..." His hands folded together in his lap, twiddling his thumbs. "Just a feeling."

England nods his head slowly, deciding to drop the conversation. "Right, anyway." he turns back to the German personification who was seated across from him. "We find, her, and she will connect with Alfred." not quite elaborating on how the connection works, it being a rather complicated process to explain to someone who had no previous understanding of magic. "She glows as far as my observation glows, I imagine during the day it is difficult to see so perhaps she will be spotted much easier during the day."

Ludwig nods, rubbing his chin as he takes in this information. While his knowledge on topics like this on his forte, having a better concept of their course of action would be appropriate.

"May I also ask a question?" Russia speaks up from the end of the table, raising his hand slightly with his elbow propped up on the table as if they were at a meeting. 

Arthur nods to the man, lightly gesturing to him as he takes another drink of his beverage.

"What exactly are these creatures? I don't believe they were ever truly explained to us, and the-" he waves his hands around in an awkward motion "tree that keeps us alive."

With a sigh, Alfred grabs different sugar packets (so many for the diets people had to follow, despite the dangers that came with some of them.) One pink, yellow, blue, and purple places neatly next to each other with just a bit of space between each one.

"Each of the spirits embody a particular element that make up this earth." He point to each of the colored packet, starting with Pink. "Air." Yellow "Light." Purple "Earth." and finally blue "Water."

He picks up his used spoon and places it sideways just behind the packets "This tree, when human civilizations began to build and grow, it had become powerful enough to begin releasing it's magic all over the world. This is the reason magical abilities exist, different creatures that exist around the world only visible to those who believe. When land started to gain names, that is when personifications came to existence."

The next object he grabs is his tea bag placing it on a dry, folded napkin. "However good can't exist without the bad, it's balance in nature. The tree did not just create the good we know today. It also created, something. We don't understand what it is entirely only because we have never had to deal with it before. From what we know it is similar to an invasive species, suffocating the tree in the form of vines (in a metaphorical and literal sense.) Though I can't see it, there's a sensation of my magic being stifled." Lukas a few seats away nods in agreement understand the feeling he is describing. 

"The energy that the tree released makes it weaker and unable to protect itself from the bad." He pushed the four sugar packet forward ahead of the spoon. "If we are to reunite the elements with the tree it will be strong enough to defend itself from the threat for another couple thousands of years." Arthur folds the napkin around the tea bag, watching the water stain the brown napkin to a darker shade. "They cannot do this on their own, like us they are the last ones affected by this. Similarly, they would not feel the weakness of the tree until it is too late."

Silence swept over the table, gazes shifting away from the British man who was cleaning up the mess he had made.

It was scary, Alfred looking particularly uncomfortable at their situation, him being the only one who could find the. He doesn't even know how.

"Things will be fine!" Heads turn to France, a smile growing on his face as he sits up straighter in his chair. "We have some of the smartest, bravest and most talented nations here! We will fix this problem!" He claps his hands together once.

"Big brother Francis is right!" Italy joins in, the smile on his own face growing. "We will all save the day and I will make pasta~!"

Quiet laughs come from the occupants at their table, small but genuine smiles appear on their faces.

"There are those smiles!" The Frenchman engages in eye contact with each individual as he looks around offering an intimate exchange with each person. "Expect none the less from the country of love to cure you of a sad moment!" His hand cards through his light blonde locks, pushing his hair slightly behind his ears.

"I think it was actually Feliciano who did, don't steal an Italians glory." Japan was not one to joke like this, but one of his usual internalized comments that he would simply giggle to himself over was thrown into the conversation. Deciding it was much needed to help the others.

Francis gasps dramatically putting the back of his hand to his forehead as he pretends to be hurt.

The others join in soon after, comments made by even America who earlier had seemed so distracted. Truthfully he was still just as scared, but he wouldn't let them see that.

They were depending on him. 

Their meal was good, after paying and tipping the waitress a good sum as they left. Splitting in pairs they began to walk down the streets of Salem. The search began sometime between One and Two, searching up until Six in the evening. Since it was June the sun was still out letting in a fair amount of light into the sky still, and a few good hours left to search.

On a nearby corner France, Canada, England, and America intersect each other on their planned routes.

"No Luck?" England asks, as he pulls out his cell phone to check the time and map they were navigating.

"Oui." Francis responds, letting out a quite sigh as he looks around at the architecture that surrounds them. "Not too surprising though, we are in a big town searching for a tiny rabbit. This could take days."

Arthur lets out a quiet hum reluctantly agreeing. "As much as I hate to say it that's what it looks like to me."

"What if we..." Matthew starts, but Alfred has stopped listening. The three continued their conversation, planning possibilities to shorten their time in this town.

America was staring, just down the street at a house that sat relatively spaced out from the rest of the buildings. The house itself was painted all black, with windows small, strange against the walls of the home. 

Looking back to his family, they were distracted with their conversation, turning back to the house. He begins to slowly walk towards the building, glancing back occasionally to see if the others were watching. 

Now standing in front, a sign hangs reading "The Witch House."

Suddenly, it was becoming clear. He remembered this home, never having gone inside himself, but he recalls it from when he was just a little kid wandering near the towns close to Boston.

He remembers this place from when he was strung up by a rope.

A shudder runs through his body, swallowing nervously as he recalls the memory that had to vividly experience again.

Another small sign sits in front of the door, telling him about the house but most importantly how it was close for the day.

But when did Alfred listen.

He runs to the back of the home, checking to make sure no one was watching him. He then manages to open the window, something he learned when he was a colony. Climbing through, he hits the floor, gracefully he might add.

Standing, he pats down his front getting any dirt that landed on his new jeans. He closely inspects the furniture that sits around him, getting a wave of nostalgia as he looked around the room.

It resembled what a living room would back when he was a colony, maybe a few inaccuracies here and there (historians weren't perfect), but if he hadn't been there, it would perfectly resemble a colonial home. 

Small paws hitting the uneven wood floor grabbed his attention, spotting the glisten of a gentle glow quickly leaving his line of sight shooting up a set of stairs. 

Alfred slowly steps forward, walking through the building, turning to look up the flight of steps.

There he saw the small creature, a bunny, staring at him. For a few seconds the two locked eyes before the bunny ran off again.

He quickly followed behind, running as fast as he could up the stairs to follow the animal. Reaching the top, she wasn't in his line of sight. Every door was open to a room, ropes set in place for some as it was a museum.

One open entry on his right roped off caught his attention. It resembled what seemed like a child's room, one that reminded him of his own when he lived in Boston with Arthur. 

Sitting on top of the bed, was the bunny. 

A smile pulled at his lips, stepped underneath the rope, he approached the bed.

She remained still, her nose twitching as she watched him trace his fingers over the fabric of the covers before sitting down onto it. 

Again, they looked at at each other before Alfred laid down next to her, his head hitting the pillow. 

She jumped onto his chest, eliciting a grunt from the 16 year old. 

His fingers went through her soft fur, as he closed his eyes breathing softly with the warmth that embraced him as she rested against him. 

Her nose rubbed against his neck, opening one eye to watch her.

The rabbit's form began to change into a silhouette, gold outlining her form. Her head bumped against America's hand, as some form of reassurance for whatever it may be. That she was still here and wasn't leaving him any time soon.

Maybe she couldn't say it, but it was something beyond that. Alfred could feel it deep down, something in his heart telling him. 

She began to sink down into his chest, casting a glow of gold around the room. 

Once the light dissipates, the warmth in his chest can be felt with the touch of his hand over his heart along with its steady beat. 

He lets out a sigh, sinking into the sheets of the bed for a moment.

It's going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late update!! It's been like, I don't know a month. I tried to update sooner but I've been at protests and I've started working again, all of that jazz so y'know. ;( but !! I finally pushed out another chapter! Yay! I'll try to get the next one out sooner hopefully!! Also sorry for any typos and grammar errors, among other things. I did this on my phone and computer so I could work on it when I could and I didn't even proof read I just went for it. So I hope it's at least decent lol. Anyway, I hope everyone has a safe weekend (Happy Birthday Alfred :^) ) and to those standing with BLM, an extra stay healthy and safe to you!! I'm unsure of the details, but remember that they're doing a boycott July 4-7th!! So if you can help it, don't put money in the American economy! Have a good one guys, thank you for reading !!


	5. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the hotel.

A slow exhale left his body, as he slowly sat up from the bed. 

The new warmth inside his chest brought him comfort, it was the feeling as though he was being hugged.

It wasn't a normal hug, no; the only way he could describe it was as though he was being hugged by someone he loved and felt the love just a strong coming from another person.

It gave him more comfort than he could have asked for.

His right hand rested against chest, feeling his heart beat against the fabric of his soft t shirt into the palm of his hand.

Standing up, he leaves the home the same way he entered (this time being more cautious of falling on his rear end.) Leaving the home, down the street he see's England walking his direction the man unaware the American was right there.

Clearly he had noticed Alfred had gone missing finally so him and the other two were in just as much of a frenzy looking for him. He crosses the street to meet up with the older man, speed in each step that he took. 

"Iggy!" He calls out as he approaches the older man.

The Brit turns to him "Alfred!" he meets with him half way walking faster at the sight of his brother. 

As Alfred came closer, he realized that Arthur's face wasn't one he would consider happy, definitely more on the angry side.

Once they meet, England's finger is raised gesturing wildly towards his him. "Alfred!" and there it was, a cross tone. America cringed slightly as he could feel the oncoming lecture.

"Young man, what do you think you're doing running off like that!" He huffs. "You can't just walk away without saying anything!"

Alfred rolls his eyes crossing his arms. "Uh, yes I can dude. I'm nineteen not a little baby. I can actually do what I want."

"Technically right now you are in fact sixteen, and in addition to that." Arthur pauses for a moment. He was right, while he was actually Nineteen years old he was still young compared to a lot of countries. The burden that he had to carry at the moment was a lot, and England was sure reminding him of this wasn't exactly helpful at the moment. Still, it had to be send. There was an urgency that had to be met, the boy could not just run off! "You're way too important right now to just wander off, heaven forbid you get lost or we can't find you!"

He grunts, knowing full well the other man was right, still there was some kind of resentment building up inside him. "Don't treat me like a child! I'm an adult, whether I look it or not. And I know what I have to do so you don't have to remind me every fucking second." Why is he so mad, upset? He doesn't get this way normally. 

"Watch your language." Arthur states, simply staring at Alfred. Although the tone in his voice had changed to more calm. Mostly only to resolve this argument to keep the other from storming off. He's knows Alfred, he's stubborn and will not quit until he has one. It's an annoying, but endearing quality that they both admittedly share.

But Arthur is older, he knows he should be the one to act mature and end it sooner before it escalates. Something he should have known a long time ago. 

"I'm. Nineteen." Alfred remains tense and upset as he stares at Britain. 

England just stares back for a moment, taking a deep breath he turns away. "Let's just return to the hotel, it is getting dark after all there is no need staying out here at night." he starts to slowly walk in the direction of the hotel. "I'm afraid of what there could be in the dark..." he mumbles to himself. He turns his head to see that Alfred is following him just a few paces behind, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his pants. His head was tilted down slightly as he stares at the ground as he walks. 

They walk in silence to the hotel. Texting the group chat that was created with all of the nations involved, he tells them to return to the hotel and they will continue their search tomorrow. 

In response they mostly received thumbs up on the message and a snarky comment from France fairly quick. The elevator was empty except for the two of them as they went to their floor.

"So." Arthur breaks the silence, glancing at his younger brother. "Why did you run off anyway?"

Alfred snorts, staring at the metal doors in front of them. "Since when did you care why I did anything?"

Choosing to leave out the obvious reasons since clearly Alfred chose to ignore what he had said earlier, he decided that going in a different direction might be more helpful. "I do still care about you Alfred." Arthur was never one to be sentimental, especially with Alfred since their falling out. But he would be lying if what he said wasn't true. 

He tensed slightly at that response, then relaxing as he remained silent looking at his own reflection. As the doors of the elevator opened and they started to walk down the hall to their room Alfred stops dead in his tracks. "I found her."

Arthur looks to Alfred raising his brow "Who?."

"The rabbit."

"Oh!" Britain exclaim, quickly slapping his hands over his mouth once realizing how loud he had been. "Where is she?"

Alfred pats his chest, just slightly off center towards his heart. "She went here. I can kinda feel her there y'know? Like she just managed to go inside me somehow."

"I see..." Arthur says rubbing his chin quizzically. "Well, I wont dwell too much on this. What matters right now is that you found her." the two walk to the room, using the card key to the door he unlocks it, and the two walk inside. "You should get some rest, we have to go into your memories tomorrow then..." trailing off at the end. Going into Alfred's dreams again. Something in his gut is telling him they're not going to be easy to sit through.

America only nods, going through the plastic grocery bags that held pajamas that would now fit his size. Going into the bathroom, the younger changes.

Arthur sighs as he sits on the edge of the bed, running his fingers through his blonde hair as he sinks into thought.

While it was only their first spirit, it seemed easy. Maybe a little too easy for his comfort. 

Both him and Norway chose to leave this out, mostly to reduce the stress of the weight this situation already held. There was still the fear of whatever was poisoning the tree to begin with, would eventually come to them and find the same spirits they were to keep it from reviving. It was like a virus, starting at the roots and rotting it throughout the plant.

To say the least it was happening at an alarming rate, and it would be better if that was an issue they wouldn't have to deal with.

A few minutes pass and Alfred comes from the bathroom, dressed in a T-shirt and a plain pair of sweats. He shuffles to the bed that Arthur is sitting on, flopping himself onto the blankets and pillows. His face buries into the soft fabric, groaning slightly.

They remain in silence, sometimes a soft sniff from Alfred followed by fabrics rubbing against each other as he changes positions.

Arthur had placed an order a nearby for supper, contacting the rest of the group asking for them to pick it up.

The Brit picked up the television remote and turned on the tv, flicking through the channels to find something he could watch as they waited. Anything to kill the silence.

"I'm sorry."

He heard, muffled by the fabrics pressed against his face. 

England quirked his brow, normally would ask the younger to speak up and clearly.

Now didn't seem like a good time though.

"What for lad?" Looking to the boy, who had rolled to his side. 

"My outburst." He bit his lower lip "I got angry. I don't know..." 

Arthur did know, although it hasn't been long this was a lot of sudden stress. Truthfully he knows America is always under a lot of stress as a nation, this isn't something that he could enjoy being added. Saying this out loud would make it too serious, and while the revolution was 200 years ago it was still an open wound, and he didn't want to be a big brother again.

Not yet anyway.

"It's probably hormones." He simply says, turning his attention back to the tv. "When you were that age you always got upset like this, despite this being a sudden change I'm sure chemically it's all the same.

"You know it's not though." Alfred sits up, bringing he's knees in to his chest. "I'm scared Arthur."

England stops clicking through the channels, stopping on some channel as a sitcom plays in the back. He doesn't say anything, waiting to see what would happen next. 

"What if I mess up? I'm scared of not being the person everyone needs. I know I always talk about being the hero and I just want to help people, but my friends, my family. Everyone I've ever worked with and have known my entire life, the only people who've I've never had to see die could." The laugh track played from the television sits in between Alfred's pause in his words. He laughs a bit as well, looking at his feet as he continues.

"That's fucked up huh? My entire life, everyone I pushed I way were the only people I couldn't lose and now.... now I could lose everyone before I could even know them..." his eyes tighten shut, shoving his face into his knees. "And it's gonna be all my fault, if I can't do this everyone's going to lose." 

Arthur turns his head when he hears tiny sniffle begin to come from the teenager. America doesn't cry, or at least he hasn't seen him cry at all in a long time. Sliding back he seats himself next to Alfred, wanting to reach out...

"I'm sorry for hurting Mattie, Francis, Ivan, Anyone... I've hurt so many people and I'm going to fail them again and I'll bring so much pain. And Artie I hurt you so bad, I'm just selfish and I..."

He stops, arms are wrapped around his body and the gentle warmth of another person surrounds him. "You don't have to be sorry. I was tough on you." He sighs, tightening his hug, a single hand begins to run the bag of sandy blonde hair. "I should've just let you be on your own, I was the one who was selfish."

Alfred begins to shake in his arms, tears escaping him as he struggles to take in a breathe.

"You're okay... deep breathes." Arthur says softly, rubbing him. "I know you're strong, one of the most powerful nations to ever exist on this earth, but you're still just a person Alfred."

He pulls away, looking into his clear blue eyes. His pink tinted cheeks are tear stained, a gentle thumb wiping away any that continue to fall. 

"You're not alone in this, so many of us are standing right behind you. Don't carry this alone." He was never the best at pep talks, but he hopes this is enough for him. For his brother.

"I don't know if I'm ready to be a big brother again, but whether or not I'll be the best. I still am one, I'm yours and I'll always be."

They hugged again, wrapped in each other arms as Alfred continued to cry softly against his shoulder.

Eventually, the other nations arrived, Francis coming aside as fabulous as he would normally. "Allo~ We're back!" He stops in the hall seeing the scene in front of him. "Oh... I'm sorry, is something wrong?" He asks, eyeing Arthur who looks at him shaking his head. 

At the sound of his voice, Alfred shoots up gasping frantically rubbing his eyes. "No way, I'm fine!" He turns around to look at the bags in the Frenchman's hands as well as Matthew's. "Dinner! What did you get." Like that he's himself again, happy.

Arthur is starting to wonder if that's how he really feels inside.

Regardless, all of the other nations begin to settle in the room, taking up space on the floor and the beds as well as any open chairs as they talk over their meals.

Everyone choosing to leave Alfred's red eyes out of question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO SORRY FOR A LATE UPDATE BRRRRR I'm not doing a check for grammar or spelling errors lol so there's probably a LOT. There's a chance I'll go back and fix it later but PHEWWW I've been so busy with work and what not just haven't had the time to update or anything. It's been almost two months and this chapter is short oops... anyway I hope you all enjoy it!! Hopefully I'll have the next one out sooner HSJSJSJSJD everyone stay safe and have a wonderful day!!


	6. When you had to bid Adieu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another flashback begins to find the next spirit

Once the sky grew dark the nations had already finished their meals and were preparing for the next spell to be casted. 

Alfred sat at the end of the bed pressed against the wall and the soft pillows that surrounded him. 

"Alright." Arthur begins, sitting on one of the bed edges beginning to explain what they intended to do next. Going over the bits and pieces of what to expect once again.

His voice was tuned out by America, pulling his legs against his chest and resting his face into the warm fabric of his sweats. It was uncommon to see him so quiet and separated from any group. The other sat on the other end of the room carefully listening to what the British man was telling him.

All the younger man could do is sit and wait, then follow whatever instructions he was told.

It was harder than he thought it would be.

"Hey." A soft voice interrupts his train of thought, looking up he meets kind, violet eyes.

Finland.

The gentle man placed his hand on Alfred's shoulder as he sits on the bed close to him. 

He always was told stories, mainly by Arthur when he was younger, how ruthless the Scandinavian country was. That the man was gruesome to come across in battle and wasn't afraid of anything.

Maybe it's because he never had to meer Finland like that, but he was very kind and gentle.

As Alfred grew in power there were a lot of nations that wouldn't talk to him, or would make rude remarks.

Finland was never one of them. Though they never engaged in a full conversation, he was always kind enough to give him a good morning and ask, how are you? General exchanges like that always managed to lighten his day.

Most of the nordics were kind though if he was honest. It could be because he was friends with Denmark, or they were just nice people.

Whatever the reason he did appreciate it.

"Are you okay?" He asks, staring at the American with genuine care. 

Alfred only shrugs. "I'm okay." He says matching the quiet whisper so they don't distract from Arthur talking. 

"You know Alfred." Tino starts. "It's okay to say that you're scared."

He looks up, his eyes widening just slightly as he gazed at the other man. Was he that obvious?

"I can tell you're not yourself right now, you're in a hard position, But don't worry." He pulls him into a hug, running one of his hands through his blonde hair. "We're all here for you."

America gives a small smile.

It alleviated some of the stress he held, it was good to hear kind words.

"Right, are we ready to begin?"

This grabs both of their attention, turning to the British man.

Finland had already let go of the American, both blinking.

Alfred nods slowly, as he kicks back the blankets of the bed and snuggling under the covers on one side of the bed.

Matthew joins next to him, the Canadian throwing his twin a kind smile.

With a quick flick and foreign words that fall from his lips, the American's eyes close slowly as he drifts to sleep.

Just behind him, the other nations made themselves comfortable and also fell to rest as they went deep into Alfred's memories.

The first thing Alfred notices is the gentle sounds of grass in the breeze. He blinks awake as his hands run over the bases of soft, golden grass that grows from the ground.

Surrounding his vision was the blue sky bordered by the gentle yellow colors from the plants beside him. 

Taking in a deep breath, he sits up taking in the sight before him. It was a familiar space, reminding him much of his home in Virginia when he was a young colony.

His memory serves him correct as he makes out a house just in the distance, a small home typical of the time period, places just outside the nearby time.

Just behind him he hears the footfalls of his colleagues, who also look around at the open field before them. 

"I remember this place." Alfred turns to his former caretaker, who's arms are crossed over his chest in a casual manor. "We lived here, when america was young. I started to travel a lot when we moved here..." Arthur's voice trailed off in thought as he looked out.

A gentle breeze blew, shaking the tall grass as Alfred at the nearby town.

It was never busy he recalls, there was a decent population for the time, but it rural. Everyone here was kind, always letting Alfred spend meals with them and provided him with goodies.

Truthfully he never understood why the people did this exactly, maybe they were compelled because he embodied them in a way. He likes to believe that they were just born to be kind and love. 

Alfred hums a gentle tune that started to surface in his memory as he walked towards the edge of this village, past the newly built cobblestone walls and homes with people doing their daily tasks inside.

As he walked past windows, the people inside would greet him and he would wave back. 

The nations followed behind him, seeing the young colony almost in a trance like before. This time he seemed more at ease, which they were thankful for. Seeing the terror in a little boys eyes like that never sat well with someone and they were all too familiar with that site.

Alfred approached a small grave yard, as he walked on the path that guided them he would pick up wildflowers on the edge of the dirt road and put them together in one hand.

Slowly, he approached a headstone. 

It wasn't fancy, nothing compared to what a nobleman would have or someone in their modern time. But it was decently common.

Engraved into the stone was the name "David Smith." The young blonde placed the makeshift bouquet in front of it, crouching in front of it.

"I still don't know why you're gone Davie, I don't understand..." America starts speaking gently, confiding in the grave before him. "Artie won't explain what's happened, just said you went away. But you looked so different than before and it wasn't even that long ago..."

A small hand rubs against his cheeks, tears began to fall as the child starts to cry. "You were my only friend and Arthur always leaves and never comes home and I feel so lonely. I want you to come home, I found the flowers for you Davie... you always wanted to see them."

The boy pulls his knees against his chest and begins to cry harder, sobbing because he doesn't understand. People don't just leave forever, they're always here but Davie is gone and isn't coming back.

No one will tell him why.

Alfred blames himself because he was too late, maybe if he'd just get those flowers sooner he would still be here. He wouldn't have made him leave.

Smokey fur brushed up against him, it was soft.

Between his sniffles, he looked to his side to find a wolf pressed up against his side looking at the headstone with gentle eyes.

His hand brushed through the creature's fur. Alfred snuggled up close to the creature.

“Do you get it?” He asks the wolf, to which she lowers her head resting herself against her own paws. She lets out a low whine, almost as though she did know. 

She understood the pain of those leaving her behind, and for whatever reason she never followed behind. An ageless being who never got to quite be normal for whatever the reason she was born to be this unlucky.

“I miss him...” he wipes his snotty nose against her backside which she presumably doesn’t mind because she does not shift or flinch at the feeling. She wanted to offer comfort to this child. “Does the bad feeling go away?”

She only picks her head up to look at him and lick at his face gentle, eliciting a giggle from him. He gives her a gentle kiss in return on the nose, the pain will go away.

As the memory before the other countries fades away, so does the wolf next to Alfred.

“Hello?”

Hands tremble against the bark of a tree, the dark wood blended against the black that flooded between the crevices that the plant held. 

Looking down, his feet were covered in some kind of black liquid. It was thick, cold, and it stuck to him like paint. The smell was strong.

Shadows inched up onto his body, wrapping around his torso, upper arms and throat. They yanked him below the surface, into depths that seemingly were non existent just a moment before.

Small hands reached up, hoping for someone to grab him.

A name, he needs to yell out a name... he can’t remember. What was he doing? Where was he? Something is wrong, it’s not right it’s not right it’s not right...

He needs help.

He tries to scream but nothing comes out and instead the liquid invades his throat and—

“Alfred!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not only shorter than I wanted it to be BUT IT TOOKSK LONG!!! I’ve been having serious writer’s block with this fic :(( I’ve been working on this since like?? August?? Finally finished thank goodness but hopefully it’ll be easier to get the next chapters if I get my flow back. Gonna blame it on the weirdness of COVID smh
> 
> Thank y’all for the patience and the readers who’ve come in recently!! You guys are so neat and patient LOL

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!! Given the time I currently have i'm going to try and update relatively frequently hopefully, as I said this is my first chapter story so pacing may be strange as I try to get into the rythem of things but I'll do my best y'all :^) Thank you so much!


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